Khairy: Panel to look into RM100mil graft issue

KUALA LUMPUR: An independent task force will carry out an internal audit on the Youth and Sports Ministry over the alleged embezzlement of RM100mil by a senior ministry official.

Its minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the task force would be headed by the Auditor-General.

“The task force is apart from criminal investigations carried out by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC).

“It will conduct an internal audit on the internal mechanism aimed at rectifying weakness,” he said when replying to points raised on his ministry during debates on the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He said the task force would not include any official from the ministry to guarantee its independence.

“From what I was informed, the task force is expected to complete its probe within two to three months,” he added.

Khairy also said the accounts of the senior ministry official had been frozen with efforts to recover the money once the suspect was charged.

Earlier, several Opposition lawmakers touched on the issue when debating the motion of thanks.

Sim Tze Tzin (PKR-Bayan Baru) and Ngeh Koo Ham (DAP-Beruas) asked Khairy if he would resign after saying he took full responsibility for the loss.

Khairy said he accepted responsibility, but that did not mean that he would resign as demanded by the Opposition.

“When I said that I would take responsibility, I meant that it was my responsibility to correct the situa­tion,” he said.

He added that he would leave it to MACC to determine if he was involved or liable in the case.

Last Thursday, MACC arrested the senior official who was believed to have misappropriated government funds since 2010. It seized assets worth some RM20mil and froze 69 bank accounts amounting to RM8.3mil.